The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-29

| night, cause me to start with alarm. may
| be late! I can not rid myself of the notion
that they are signaling me-, that the overseer
will not bring a pair of ugly, vicious, black
| brows together if 1 am a few seconds
behind time. aa
WAS often late by a very few seconds. If
he had only locked my pitiful earnings I
should not so much ave cared, but he
scolded in big, brawling accents and held
me up as an example of shiftlessness to the
| vulgar factory crowd. I had to bear it, for
I had to live, and as my lateness was always
caused by my necessary attention to the
twins, I knew that, though men chided me,
I was doing right in the sight of the angels,
and that comforted me, n I tried to not
hear the loud voices of bold-faced young
women as they jeered and laughed in coarse
sympathy with the overseer; enjoying my
discontinue and pandering to the powers
that be at one and the same time.
l was poor enough those days; but hours
blacker than these stole like dread spect-
ers from the charnel house of Time.
One day I was discharged. I was late for
the tenth time-''for the tenth and last
time" the overseer said, as he pushed the
little wage due nto my nerveless land.
For the tenth and last time, girl! I've
been tolerant Of your fine lady ways long
~enough-you are discharged-march"
The twins comforted me that night as best
they could. After q long fatiguing walk in
vain search for work it was sweet at twi-
light to sit alone with my treasures, and
have their dear arms fold about my neck.
I was so young, too; it seemed as if I had
actually been a child with them when our
widowed mother lived; but, when we saw
the cold earth take her to it's bosom, I aged
|~~s<1> ~n.r x~~,1~A --sa 1,l ~o-~ - lS.o~~ liz
time of experience and sorrow lay between
me and the brown-eyed children, who, at
nine years Of age, comprehended but vague
ly their sisters grief and care.
Factory work was repulsive to me, who
loved quiet and clean linens and dainty sur
~roundings: but even factory work the most
distasteful was impossible to get, I found;
and two days. tramping brought me only an
empty pocket, empty larder and empty pros
poets!
And then came Christmas Eve-Christ-
mas Eve, when all should be joy and glad
ness n radia nee and plenty! I looked into
the box 10 had fashioned into what he
called q pantry; there was half of a loaf
there, some crackers and a bit Of cheese.
We were not hungry now, but breakfast
would clear the box of crust and crumbs,
and after that what? All we had eaten for
three days past had come from the united
earnings Of Josie and 10, who sold papers
while I traversed the long, cold, city streets.
And Christmas was to dawn upon us as it
ever dawns upon the poor-in its own
bright, bitter mockery of all ~gladnessl
Santa Claus finds it impossible to tread the
l~abyrynthian alleys of Poverty Row, and a
great lump rose in my throat at the sight Of
two poor, little faded stockings hung near
the straw pile that served us for a bed in
common. Oh, the sweet, simple faith of
childhood! Tears came to vail my sight,
and each great, bitter drop was like O bub-
BILE that reflects more beauteous tints than
ever were in the earth Or sky. Whence
come they? In these salt tears I found the
picture Of my ~childhood's home, where
mother lived among US and trouble was un-
born. I saw her sweet face close to mine;
I saw her hands reach out to me, and then
The dream-angel must have visited me,
for I awoke with q start to find the last red
ember only a tiny spark upon the hearth.
My dream comforted me greatly, and with
a queer feeling of something oddly resem-
bling content, ], early as it was, slipped off
my worn shoes and let down my hair for
the night. r
Such hair l had then-so long, SO lustrous,
with the CLINT Of the suns own sheen
amidst it's heavy masses.
"Make me a doll, sister," Josie once had
said; ian cover it's head with a bit of your
lovely hair!" Right willingly would I have
sacrificed every tress of it if "a great
thought seized me; I cried out like enc daft,
and bound up the heavy masses with eager,
trembling hands.
'sSleep, little darling" I cried in ecstatic
whisper, 'ssleep and dream Of a glorious
Christmas-tide; for it shal come to you by